The Shining

In the opening sequence for The Shining, very little of the storyline is given away at all. None of the characters have been revealed, all we see is the location. 

To begin with, the scenery looks peaceful and open but as you get further along, the trees start closing in, you start to see mountains and snow which give you a sense of danger, long and winding roads, abandoned cars and you get higher up. The location appears to be quite cut off from anything which gives the sense of danger and mystery. The road is empty apart from the abandoned cars, all of which where driving the other way. This makes you think that maybe they were driving away from something. The camera shots make you feel uneasy as they vary in heights as they follow the car, almost as if a spirit was following it. The shot used is a point of view shot. The sound used is in a minor key, done by an orchestra. They have sound effects which sound like voices wailing. This builds the tension and makes the viewers feel uneasy. There is no resolution also. The sound is very important to this clip as it gives off an uneasy vibe. If you watched the same clip with happier music, it would give off an entirely different feeling.

(The Shining opening sequence with happy music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7iyHv1T6Xc)